The Toronto Raptors took care of business with yet another win, this time against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Here are the three big takeaways.
The Toronto Raptors improved to 5-0 with a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. The 5-0 record matches the best start in franchise history. Despite a new coach, a new roster, and a new playing style, the Raptors are on fire.
Toronto looked in control throughout the entire game against Minnesota. They trailed for only 20 seconds, and despite a late fourth-quarter run, the game never felt in question after about mid-way through the third.
The Raptors looked great, and there were quite a few things that we learned on Wednesday night.
Center of Attention
Karl-Anthony Towns is an elite NBA center. Last season, he averaged 25 and 12, while earning his first ever All-NBA selection.
Last night, he was thoroughly outplayed and dominated by Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas. Towns scored 14 points on 5-17 (29.4%) shooting and turned the ball over four times. Yikes.
Meanwhile, on the other end, JV and Ibaka combined for 31 points on 14-2 (66%) shooting. They grabbed 16 combined rebounds and even dished out five assists. Toronto won all 48 minutes of the center position against one of the best players in the NBA.
Go hard in the paint
The Toronto Raptors rely on the three-ball for a good portion of their offense. Last night, they were 34-percent, compared to Minnesota’s 50-percent. 11-32 isn’t a terrible performance, but it is nothing to write home about.
They made up for it by attacking the paint early and often. The Raptors attempted 35 shots within five feet of the hoop and made an impressive 62-percent of those shots. A quick look at the shot chart shows the previously mentioned Ibaka and Valanciunas scoring around the hoop often.
Perhaps more impressive was the Raptors work in the mid-range. Toronto shot 10-16 from distances between 10 and 19 feet.
As a whole, the Raptors scored 70 points on greater than 61-percent shooting from inside the arc. Toronto’s improved three-point shooting has been well noted. With increased spacing, their inside game will also continue to improve.
Jimmy Butler Stopper
Jimmy Butler scored 23 points on 7-13 shooting, including 4-7 from beyond the arc. In no scenario is that being “shut-down.”
However, when guarded by Kawhi Leonard, the story is much different. According to matchup data provided by NBA.com, Butler scored only 7 of his 23 points when defended by Leonard despite being guarded by Leonard for greater than 50-percent of his possessions.
He shot just 40-percent with Leonard as his primary defender and only attempted five shots.
Having a player who can largely take away an opponent’s primary scoring option will be critical for the Raptors playoff success. Throughout his career and particularly in this game, Leonard has proven to be capable of doing just that.
Make sure to check out our takeaways after every game available at RaptorsRapture.com.